Khothatso Leballo

The 20-year-old found himself in hot water with his national team coach after arriving late for AFCON camp in Pretoria. He had missed his flight from Durban after being granted two days off to recover from the Buccaneers’ participation in the Carling Knockout final. The incident infuriated the Belgian tactician, who did not hold back in publicly castigating the defender’s actions.

The former Orlando Pirates striker will head straight to Morocco after South Africa coach Hugo Broos indicated that his Europe-based stars will team up with the rest of his squad at the continental tournament. That rules him out of Tuesday's international friendly match against Ghana at Dobsonville Stadium. But being someone who has been in the national team setup for a while, his absence from the early stages of camp is likely not to show.

The 27-year-old was given a lifeline by the Buccaneers after being discarded by Mamelodi Sundowns when his career appeared to be heading downhill. He has since silenced his critics by rejuvenating his game at the Soweto giants, earning himself a return to the national team on the back of consistent performances. Now enjoying some good form, he is widely expected to play a key role for South Africa at the continental competition.

The exhibition match at Moses Mabhida Stadium on Saturday provided several players with the opportunity to showcase their talents against Beer Cup champions Orlando Pirates. It proved to be a valuable opportunity for Manqoba Mngqithi’s select side and the Buccaneers players alike to stake their claims during this AFCON break. In the end, the afternoon turned into a vibrant parade of what the Premier Soccer League has to offer, including exciting prospects emerging from the DStv Diski Challenge ranks.

The Brazilians were in terrific form in the tournament, showcasing their class. They first swept past their semi-final opponents to storm into the final, setting the tone for a dominant tournament decider. Their opponents had narrowly edged TAFIC 1-0 to book a spot in the final, but were then humiliated by the Tshane giants in the final. Overall, Masandawana underlined their superiority throughout the tournament.

The 61-year-old coach has surprisingly failed to stay long in each of his last four jobs, a sharp contrast to the stability he enjoyed at SuperSport United, Mamelodi Sundowns and Al Ahly. He is currently unattached amid speculation rife about his next move. With Hugo Broos expected to step down after the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the former Abha Club coach is already being linked with a possible return to Bafana Bafana as well as other teams.

The 19-year-old forward is highly expected to help end Amakhosi’s long-standing goal-scoring troubles as the Soweto giants seek to have their attack match an improved defence. He faces tough competition for game time from experienced forwards like Glody Lilepo, Etiosa Ighodaro, Flavio da Silva and Khanyisa Mayo. But this is his opportunity to show Chiefs supporters that he can be the striker the club has always been searching for.

South Africa coach Hugo Broos announced his squad for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations finals, and as expected, there were prominent names missing from the Belgian's selection. One of the players whose omission triggered debate is the Wydad Casablanca attacker. He did not even appear in the preliminary squad and has, over a period of time, not been considered for national duty.

The 24-year-old winger is one of the players who featured at the last edition of the continental tournament in Ivory Coast, even though he was used only sparingly at the time. Back then, he was still turning out for Polokwane City before securing a big move to the Buccaneers ahead of the current season. The national team coach has since highlighted the significant improvement shown by the Cape Town-born star.

Amakhosi closed out 2025 on a frustrating note after failing to win their last four games, both domestically and on the continent. That slump saw them miss a golden chance to climb to second place on the PSL table, and they now head into the AFCON break sitting fourth. That means they return in 2026 with significant pressure to revive their form and stay in the league title race.

The former Morocco defender was captured in a moment of connection with his players after the Buccaneers beat Marumo Gallants 1-0 to win the Carling Knockout at Peter Mokaba Stadium last Sunday. The Soweto giants' coach sprinted on the pitch with his players in hot pursuit to shower him with champagne in celebration of their triumph and second major trophy of the season.

The former Mamelodi Sundowns midfielder has emerged as one of the Buccaneers’ standout performers this season, consistently delivering influential displays in the middle of the park. His impressive form has earned him the trust of both the Soweto giants’ technical team and the national team coach. At 27, he looks rejuvenated and is playing some of the best football of his career.

The Buccaneers winger was named as the best player on the pitch after they defeated Marumo Gallants 1-0 in the final of the Beer Cup at Peter Mokaba Stadium on Saturday. However, his award that comes with R100,000 sparked debate as some fans believed other players performed better than him as the Soweto giants claimed their second trophy of the season.

The 21-year-old has managed to reinvent himself after being discarded by Amakhosi, putting the Soweto giants under scrutiny for letting such a big talent slip away. While he has bounced back strongly from the Naturena setback, he is still chasing his major breakthrough on the international stage. Even though he earned a place in the preliminary squad for the 2025 AFCON, he has yet to firmly establish himself in the national team setup, but would be happy for the recognition.

The 26-year-old has been handed a lifeline in his international career as he heads to the continental competition with South Africa. He makes his return to the national team after a brief absence that followed his club switch and a dip in form. Now back on top of his game, his performances have convinced the technical team that he can add value to the national side again.

Bafana arrive in Morocco carrying a heavy load of expectations after finishing third at the last edition of the continental competition. Failure to reach the semi-finals would likely be considered as underperforming, and Hugo Broos would not want his charges to experience such a scenario. While failure at this tournament could have a negative impact of demoralising the team, a former South Africa coach sees it as a blessing in disguise.

The Botswana Premier League is steadily emerging as an attractive destination for South African coaches and players seeking new opportunities. This could reflect how football in that country is growing. A clear sign of this progress is the Botswana national team, which has qualified for AFCON and is guided by South African coach Morena Ramoreboli. Now, a big-name coach in South African football is linked with a club in the Southern African nation.

GOAL gives you the details to follow the Soweto giants' clash with Bahlabane ba Ntwa in the Carling Knockout final at Peter Mokaba Stadium on Saturday. It is both teams' final game of 2025 and they would be keen on signing off the year on a high. For the Buccaneers, they will be on the hunt for a second trophy of the season after lifting the MTN8 earlier on. Their opponents are bidding for their first-ever piece of major silverware in the top-flight league.